OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens could be without defensive back Arthur Maulet for the start of the regular season.
Though not going as far as echoing an NFL Network report suggesting the slot corner could miss all of September, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed the 31-year-old Maulet will miss some time and undergo an arthroscopic procedure because of a knee issue.
“He’s going to have a scope surgery and a cleanup-type situation, and it’ll keep him out for a little while, but not long term by any stretch,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll revisit it as we get close to the start of the season to talk about it.”
It’s an unfortunate development for the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Maulet — who had a strong spring and start to summer — after he was one of the unsung heroes for the 2023 defense with 37 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and five pass breakups. Fortunately, the Ravens have no shortage of options for the nickel spot to endure Maulet’s absence.
That begins with All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, who’s led Baltimore in nickel snaps in each of the last two seasons. The free-agent departure of safety Geno Stone could impact his usage some, but general manager Eric DeCosta signing former two-time Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson last month leads one to believe Hamilton will still see extensive snaps playing close to the line of scrimmage in three-safety alignments.
New defensive coordinator Zach Orr may also elect to use veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey at the nickel, a position the three-time Pro Bowl selection has played extensively in the past. Coming off an injury-plagued 2023, the 28-year-old Humphrey didn’t play there much a year ago, but the first-round selection of cornerback Nate Wiggins could allow the former to move inside in certain situations, enabling the speedy rookie to see more action.
There’s also the presence of younger nickel options such as Ar’Darius Washington and Damarion Williams, who better fit the mold of Maulet from a size standpoint. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound Washington began the 2023 season as the primary nickel before a pectoral injury landed him on injured reserve after Week 2. Washington has spent more time practicing at safety this offseason, but the Maulet injury could prompt a shift in his positional focus.
A 2022 fourth-round pick, Williams would be more of a dark-horse option after missing virtually all of last season because of multiple ankle surgeries.
You’d certainly prefer having a healthy Maulet available to match up against undersized and shifty slot receivers, but the Ravens have been and will remain multiple in their use of the nickel and dime packages. According to Pro Football Focus, Hamilton logged 465 snaps at the slot while Maulet had 388 last year, and that’s not including Marcus Williams, Patrick Queen, Stone, and Washington each playing 100 or more snaps aligned at the nickel.
With or without Maulet, the Ravens defense wants to be as position-less and deceptive as possible.
Cleveland at center
With Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum “out for a while” with what Harbaugh initially described as a “minor soft-tissue” injury last Friday, guard Ben Cleveland has been taken extensive practice snaps at center.
That versatility may fortify Cleveland’s 53-man roster chances as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, but it does little to change the perception that he hasn’t been in serious contention for the starting right guard job like many anticipated he would be this offseason. Instead, third-year lineman Daniel Faalele has continued to practice as the first-team right guard after working almost exclusively at right tackle the previous two years.
“I don’t think of it as taking reps away from other spots,” said Cleveland about his recent practice work as the first-team center. “They say, ‘The more you can do, the better off you’re going to be.’ If I have to be in that role of a backup center at some point this year, then I want to be fully prepared to go in and do that. I love the fact that I’m getting to play center and going to go out there and get some live game reps in that spot.”
Wednesday practice attendance
While Linderbaum and Maulet were again absent Wednesday, starting outside linebacker Odafe Oweh returned to the field just one day after Harbaugh said he had “sprained his ankle a little bit.”
Harbaugh never suggested Oweh would miss much practice time, but it was still a relief to see a quick practice return after the fourth-year edge defender missed multiple games with an ankle injury last season. Return specialist and wide receiver Deonte Harty also logged limited on-field work for the second straight day after missing roughly a week with a lower leg injury.
Others missing from Wednesday’s workout included wide receiver Rashod Bateman, defensive tackle Deadrin Senat, outside linebacker Quincy Roche, cornerbacks Trayvon Mullen (shoulder) and T.J. Tampa (sports hernia surgery), and running back Keaton Mitchell (knee). Tampa and Mitchell remain on the physically unable to perform list, but Tampa has been doing more running and agility work on a side field during recent practices, suggesting he could be close to returning to practice.
